The invention relates to a main housing element for a multi-part housing of an electrical device, to a housing for an electronic device, and to a method for assembling a housing of an electrical device.
Electronic devices are often used as control devices in dust-exposed and/or easily accessible locations of appliances, machines or equipment. As a rule the electronic components are surrounded by a housing which serves as protection against moisture, contamination and/or contact with the electronic device. The housings are frequently produced from plastics material and usually consist of two parts, an upper housing part and a lower housing part. One of the two housing parts, usually the upper housing part, may already be provided with integrated connector elements. Installation of a circuit board in the housing and connection of the installed circuit board assembly to plug connectors of cables or other external plug connectors is thereby simplified, so that outlay for manufacturing and assembly is reduced. The connector elements integrated in the upper housing part have openings into which suitable connector pins arranged on the circuit board can be inserted during assembly of the housing. Alternatively, the connector pins may already be integrated in the connector elements of the housing part prior to assembly of the housing and may be inserted in complementary feedthroughs of the circuit board during assembly. A housing of this type is disclosed, for example, in DE 198 55 389 A1.
As a result of different thermal coefficients of expansion of the circuit board and of the housing part, adequate thermal fatigue resistance of the connector pins at the points of contact may not always be ensured in later operation of the electronic device, especially in the case of soldered connector pins. In addition, the different thermal coefficients of expansion of the circuit board and of the housing part may lead, during assembly of the electronic device, to problems regarding the admissible tolerances in the precise fit between the connector pins and the openings in the connector elements.